The French Riviera of the East
Puducherry coast. Image credit: Karthik Easvur, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Nearly five thousand miles from the French Riviera where Monaco lies is the city of Puducherry (previously known as Pondicherry) in southeastern India, nicknamed ‘the French Riviera of the East’. It is the capital of the Union Territory of Puducherry, a geographically unconnected group of four districts that constituted ‘French India’ from the late 17th century until the mid-1900s. Many French influences remain in Puducherry and the Karaikal, Mahé, and Yanam districts that together make up the territory. Due to the city’s physical location in Tamil Nadu, Tamil is an official administrative language in Puducherry along with English; and French, Telegu, Malayalam, and other languages are also used and officially recognized across the four districts.
Puducherry Union Territory districts. Image credit: RaviC, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Puducherry was ruled by the Pallava dynasty in the 4th century succeeded by the Chola and Pandya dynasties, the Vijayanagara Empire, and the Sultanate of Bijapur. European explorers and traders sailing the world as the Renaissance period unfolded made their way to various points within modern-day India, hoping to profit from trade in spices, textiles, opium, and other items. In the 17th century, goods brought to Europe by Portuguese, Danish, and Dutch traders prompted French merchants to make similar voyages to the southeastern coast of India. As European kingdoms engaged in power struggles and war at home and around the world, Puducherry’s settlements were claimed and ceded by different European powers until 1815, when France assumed governing rights to Puducherry, Mahé, Yanam, Karaikal, and several other enclaves. In 1954, much of ‘French India’ passed resolutions to merge with India. Legal and administrative negotiations ensued before the official transfer was recognized in India (1956) and in France (1962). Union territory residents were given the choice of retaining French citizenship or becoming citizens of India.
Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Puducherry, India. Image credit: BishkekRocks, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Puducherry gained its nickname ‘French Riviera of the East’ due to its scenic location on the Bay of Bengal and distinctively French features that have endured for years. A canal parallel to the coast that runs through Puducherry was essential for trade activity and marked the separation of Ville Blanche where the French settled from Ville Noire where families with deep regional roots lived. Stretching from the shoreline with a perpendicular grid of roads extending inland, Ville Blanche, now called White Town, incorporated French-style administrative buildings, churches, cafés, and shops painted in muted shades of white, yellow, and pink. Large houses behind compound walls line roads that retain their French street names coupled with Tamil equivalents. Many of these have been converted into guesthouses that receive a steady stream of tourists, particularly in the more temperate fall and winter months.
Puducherry’s French influences are also evident in the churches that remain from its colonial period. For over three hundred years, Christians have worshipped at the site of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. Although the building was destroyed several times as European powers battled during the early colonial period, a new one has risen to replace its predecessor each time. Closer to the Bay, Mass is celebrated in Tamil, French, and English throughout each week at the Église de Notre-Dame des Anges, a Greco-Roman style church built in 1851. On the church grounds there is a statue of French heroine Joan of Arc. One mile to the southwest, the Sacred Heart Basilica dating to 1908 exhibits Gothic-style elements and stained glass panels that illustrate events from the life of Jesus.
Tamil breakfast of idli, medu vada, chutney, and sambar. Image credit: Rajesh dangi at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Nothing brings people together like food, and over the years, the amalgam of Tamil, Mughal, Kerala influences made room for French customs as well as dishes and spices from other areas of India and the southeast Asian former colonies of France. Breakfast in Puducherry might be idli (steamed rice cake) with vada (fritters) and chutney, croissants with butter and jam, or a mix that bridges the Tamil and French palates. Some dishes traditional to south Indian and/or French cuisine have evolved in ways that are unique to Puducherry. For example, meen puyabaise is an adaptation of French bouillabaisse of the Mediterranean Riviera, retaining the key ingredients of fresh seafood while seasoning the stew with turmeric and tamarind. Classic French mayonnaise came to include curry or spices. When the bold spice profiles of south Indian cuisine proved to be too strong for French palates, they incorporated coconut milk to adjust dishes to their liking to come up with new variations. Indian dosas and their French counterpart, crêpes, are enjoyed throughout Puducherry with sweet and savory fillings.
In addition to maintaining physical traces of French culture, Puducherry continues to commemorate several French events. Each July, the Fête nationale of France is remembered at the local French War Memorial as are the people of French India who died in the wars of the 20th century. The French government maintains a consulate in the city, which has the largest concentration of French citizens in India. Centuries after the first French sailors reached these shores, the French Riviera of the East continues to attract visitors from France and elsewhere around the world.
Activité de français
Click on the French-language video below to learn more about the history of Puducherry while viewing scenes from the city, including some of the sites mentioned in this post.
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